WHAT SUCCESS MEANS TO ME

 

It is over twenty-two years since THE DAWN CLUB was founded. In every PD course we have conducted - yes, every year since then - we have asked our youngsters to reflect, write or speak on the topic: ‘What Success means to me.”

Also, in every book that we have published, over all these years, we have, directly or indirectly, touched upon this subject.

Two days ago, during our morning session, I, once again, asked the young ones to reflect on this subject. They were asked to share with us just one or two aspects. Yes, just one, two, or at the most three, ideas on: What Success, personally, meant to each one of them. “My young friends, please remember,” I said to them, “I want you to share with us, ‘Your’ ideas – what Success really, really means to ‘you’ – yes, at ‘this’ point of your life. Don’t bother about what it means to anyone else… Or, what will others think about what you think.”

I wasn’t surprised on hearing what I did! Each one of them had something to share… something pertinent, something very fundamentally universal… and, something so relateable and true.

In Life, there are only few words – you can count them on your fingers – which almost all of us understand and use… We all have some strong views on them; often, speak on them with authority… Yes, we all – kids, teenagers, middle-aged and aged. Imagine how we all use these words: ‘Life’, ‘Love’, ‘Happiness’, ‘God’… and, yes, ‘Success’!

So, when I asked our students – some kids, some middle-aged and mostly young ones – to reflect, write and speak on the word ‘Success’ – I wasn’t surprised at all. Each one of them spoke, almost, like an ‘expert’!

In this Post, I thought I would share the gist of what some of our students had to say. Yes on the topic: ‘What Success means to me’.

Seventeen-year-old Varun said, “Success, to me, is a ‘bare necessity’ like water, food, air, clothes and shelter. I can’t survive without it… I need to succeed if I have to live!”


For a while, I was startled. No one had given me such a perspective, all these years… and, here was a young man reminding all of us, “Friends, there is no option but to succeed… It is as needed as the air we breathe!” Then, he added this: “Friends, this need has to be met to fulfill our next, equally fundamental, need – ‘to be happy’ in life!”

“Wow!” I declared, “How effective, how beautiful our lives would be if we all treat ‘Success’ as a basic need, a bare necessity!”

Fifteen-year-old Yash emphasized on ‘Overcoming obstacles in life’. He spoke about the hero of Greek mythology - the Prince of Athens, Theseus, who took upon him the challenge of putting an end to the tyranny of King Minos. But, to achieve this goal, the young Prince had to overcome an incredible obstacle: he had to kill the deadly monster – part man, part bull – Minotaur! Yes, Prince Theseus did… and achieved his goal.. “So, my dear friends," said Yash, "if I have to pick one idea to convey what Success means to me, it would be: Overcoming obstacles in or lives.” He added, “Our goals are just our destinations… It is the process of achieving our goals... the ‘path’- the grit and grace with which we face our obstacles along - that makes us successful  persons.”

“To me, Success means ‘hard work’,” said seventeen-year old Aishwarya, “There is no compromise on that… We can not achieve anything without hard work.”

I did not want the young ones to undermine the importance of this age-old value – ‘hard work’. They were all bombarded with this, day-in-and day-out, by their parents, teachers and well-wishers. So, when Aishwarya emphasized on her idea of Success – hard work - no one could disagree. 

But, I wanted them to know one thing more about ‘hard work’. “As much as you believe in the importance of ‘hard work’ in life, you should also believe in this, my young friends,” I reminded them, almost teasing, “that, if hard work alone could bring Success, Donkey deserves to be the Champion...! Let your work be smart as well!”

Dev, 17, had to say this: “My parents want me to become a Chartered Accountant… which, I think, I will try to be as I too am interested.” He added, “But any one can become a CA… But, to become one, who would not ‘cheat’, is what Success all about to me!”

It immediately triggered off applause. I reminded the young ones as to how we all dream to be someone like a doctor, advocate, architect, chartered accountant, teacher, designer, actor, sportsman, businessman or even a preacher. “Becoming one of these with ‘good ethics’ is what our friend, Dev, is stressing upon… To him, that is Success.”

“Money is a big thing in life, but not everything,” declared sixteen-year-old Hitesh, “To me, to be Successful in life means working hard to earn money… But only so much which can keep me content and satisfied.”

I knew they were all still kids. Their financial needs were taken care of by their parents… “What money means to me” … would be a subject in itself… and, it was for another day! But, today, here was a young one telling us, “Please don’t put your cart before the horse!  Money is the cart… and, let it be behind… Let your horse – contentment of your heart, your simple satisfaction – be in the front!”

It was ‘Focus’ for twenty-year-old Jaideep. He too wanted to become a Chartered Accountant. “I believe, keeping the focus on what you want to achieve in life is Success.”

Oh yes, no doubt about that. Distractions destroy… they sabotage our plans. For most of us, lack of focus is a malady… We don’t reach our destinations, because, along our way, we lose our focus. Like the over-confident Hare in the ancient fable, we become casual, we go to sleep… while the sensible, humble Tortoise, by being consistently focused, makes it to the finishing line… and, not only wins the ‘cup’… but, every one’s heart, as well!

“What you focus on, expands in your life,” I told the youngsters. I also told them this: “To be focused means to be able to see the ‘eye of the bird’… and, not the ‘bird’. Arjuna’s example came handy to me, last morning.

Mehak is not even a teen. “I want to be a writer,” she said, “So, if I am able to become what I want to and thereby live happily, that’s Success to me.” Jaanvi, Mehak’s cousin sister of the same age, too, had her dreams. “Friends, to me, Success means striving for excellence in whatever I am doing,” this little one said.

I raised my eyebrows! 

“In Search of Excellence,”… “Pursuit of Excellence,”… these are not just some famous book-titles. ‘Excellence’, as little lady, Jaanvi, reminded us was the ‘essence of Success’!

Anupama, 17, had declared on her first day here, “I want to be the ‘best’ fashion designer in the world!”

“My God!” I had jumped, “What a way to motivate oneself!” I remembered telling the class, “Friends, it is not whether you will be able to become the ‘BEST’ in what you intend to do, it is about donning the ‘best’ mind-set!” I had added, “Hitch your wagons to the stars… Even if you fail, you will land up on the Moon!”

This morning, Anupama, once again, reminded us,” Friends, my dream is to become a great fashion designer. For that, I have to first do well in my twelfth-standard Board exams. Then, I must do well in the entrance exam to get into NIFT, one of the Premier institutes for fashion technology. So, doing well in these exams, and eventually fulfilling my dream of becoming a great fashion designer is what Success means to me.”

Sixteen-year-old Maitri too had dreams of becoming a writer… She, too, emphasized on being definite about our goals and able to deal with the obstacles along our way.

For young Arpita, the means were more important than the end. “Successful is what everybody wishes to be,” she said, “But, the path to success has to be chosen carefully.” Then, she added this: “The only difference between Obama an Osama is not ‘b’ and ‘s’. It is: while one man is working for the country, in the case of other, many countries are working against one man!”

I liked the analogy. Both, Obama and Osama had goals. The spine-chilling images of Twin-Towers on flame flooded  my mind!

When young Nikita had come to join, she was a bundle of fear… scared to even say ‘hello’ to another student. Now, she was there on stage with a clear notion about Success. “To me, Success means to be able to do what you like… and do with your full heart,” she announced.

But, when I saw Nikita still saying such a powerful thing with a sort of self-doubt, I rose up to tell her, “Beti, what you possess with you is a bomb… Believe me, it is an Atom Bomb!”

“How in the world can you think of achieving anything, becoming successful, unless you like what you do… and, unless you do it with all your heart?” I thundered. “It is, indeed, a bomb, dear… Only you need to treat it so,” I patted Nikita, “Look into their eyes and drop that bomb, once again.”

Nikita did.

“Yes, doing what we love… or, loving what we do,” I added, “Where else lies the key to our Passion?”

Thirty-five-year-old Nandkishore heads a sales team in his organization. “Obviously, to me, Success means achieving my targets, and keep doing that with satisfaction.” He added,  “Along this process, the joy that comes by empowering others and myself is true Success to me.”

“To me, Success is both internal and external. Material Success is external one… Though it is important, it is not as important as the internal success – the feeling of simple fulfillment in our hearts,” declared eighteen-year-old Abhishek.

Many had different perspectives: Passion, Commitment, Perseverance, Discovering our strengths and talents, Peace of Mind, Prosperity, Welfare of the Society… “Success is not a Station, it is a long journey,” some brought back to us this old saying. “The road to success is always under construction,” came from another corner. 

“Life is what you experience 

as you are busy preparing for it,” 

I remembered this line. 

I replaced the word ‘Life’ with ‘Success’…

and, the truth still remained undiluted!

 

Finally, forty-nine-year-old Ashok came on the stage to share his view. “Friends, to me, Success is like a ladder,” he said. “I should climb it to reach high in life… But, I have to examine, time to time, if my ladder is leaned against the ‘right wall’!”

I remembered Stephen Covey and his famous book: ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’. I fully agreed with Ashok. Most of us are eternally busy ‘climbing the ladder’. But, often, we realize – and it is too late for many of us, by then – that we had leaned our ladders against ‘wrong walls’!

The session had assumed a very poignant dimension. Yes, the subject of Success is so universal, so relateable… that every one of us has something to say. And, yes, everyone of us thinks: “I know what Success is!” The difference was: I wanted them to reflect and speak on: “What Success 'means' to me!”

Yes, what it means to ‘me’!

Some were not able to speak due to shortage of time… and, some were absent. I wish, I could cover, here,  every one’s view…

For, every one DOES have a view…!

Doesn’t  he?

Don’t you?


Don't we all?

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Shaila D'Souza